1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates to a pneumatic motion platform, and more particularly to a pneumatic driven two-axis motion platform which uses as few as two sets of bag-shaped telescopic modules.
2. Description of Related Art
Traditional two-axis dynamic simulation devices, such as 3D dynamic simulation devices for use in simulation of aviation or car racing, usually either adopt hydraulic technology or use one or more driving motors to hydraulically or mechanically drive the two-axis dynamic simulation device to be moved in one-axis motion or in two-axis motion along two axes at the same time.
However, the two-axis dynamic simulation devices using hydraulic technology have disadvantages regarding bulky volume, numerous parts required, difficult for assembling works, and inconvenient for frequent maintenance.
On the other hand, the two-axis dynamic simulation devices using one or more driving motors are difficult for assembling works due to too many components. Hence, for purpose of saving costs and improving efficiency in maintenance, the pneumatic technology has been introduced into two-axis dynamic simulation devices.
With reference to FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, there are two alternatives regarding pneumatic motion platforms, one prior known pneumatic driven gasbag-type motion platform 10 has shown in FIG. 1, and alternatively, another prior known pneumatic driven gasbag-type motion platform 20 has shown in FIG. 2. Both respectively have to use four sets of bag-shaped telescopic modules 13 (or 23), and each set of bag-shaped telescopic module 13 (or 23) is become expandable as well as contractible when driven through pneumatic operation.
In operation, the bag-shaped telescopic modules 13 (or 23) is allowed to be expandable when driven by compressed gases for air inflation, or, allowed to be contractible when expelled gases out from the gas bag module 13 (or 23) for air deflation, but otherwise, is permanently kept in a stationary shape when stopped for air inflation or air deflation.
The pneumatic driven gasbag-type motion platform 10 as depicted in FIG. 1 comprises a foundation base 11, a movable frame 12, and four sets of bag-shaped telescopic modules 13 via such a way each being respectively located at one of four corners between the foundation base 11 and the movable frame 12. Such an arrangement, however, may cause a hindrance or obstruction in doing two-axis dynamic motion among the four bag-shaped telescopic modules 13.
On the contrary, only when the two bag-shaped telescopic modules 13 arranged as being adjacent each other are inflated or deflated simultaneously, the movable frame 12 of the pneumatic driven gasbag-type motion platform 10 will be therefore driven to perform one-axis rotation that has one dimensional freedom either in the X-axis direction or in the Y-axis direction as shown in FIG. 1. Nevertheless, the pneumatic driven gasbag-type motion platform 10 is impossible to generate a two-axis rotation that has two dimensions of freedom about X-axis or/and Y-axis directions, thus inevitably to cause the application scope of the pneumatic driven gasbag-type motion platform 10 being limited.
To solve the above-mentioned problem regarding impediment and interference among the four sets of bag-shaped telescopic modules 13 as shown in FIG. 1, another pneumatic driven gasbag-type motion platform 20 is invented as shown in FIG. 2 to comprise a foundation base 21, a movable frame 22 and four sets of bag-shaped telescopic modules 23 via such a way each being arranged as an orthogonal arrangement when installed between the foundation base 21 and the movable frame 22.
Such an arrangement allows one or more sets of the four sets of bag-shaped telescopic modules 23 of the gasbag-type motion platform 20 to be controlled individually or together without any impediment or interference happened on any sets of the gas bag modules 23. As a result, the movable frame 22 of the pneumatic driven gasbag-type motion platform 20 is enabled to perform not only one-axis rotation that has one dimension of freedom about either X-axis or Y-axis direction as shown in FIG. 2, but also two-axis rotation that has two dimensions of freedom about X-axis or/and Y-axis directions.
However, in consideration of both cost-benefit and maintenance-benefit, the pneumatic driven gasbag-type motion platform 20 of FIG. 2 due to indispensably using four sets of bag-shaped telescopic modules 23 has unavoidable defects in high manufacturing cost and high maintenance fee.